The two are alleged to have diverted K2.964 billion from the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to buy maize for the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).

The Mera board met on February 24 2015 and resolved to buy 10,000 metric tonnes at a cost of K2.964 billion to be sent to Admarc for sale in its markets.

Ralph Kamoto fired.

Initial reports said then the Mera board on 24 February 2016 resolved to purchase 10 000 metric tonnes of maize at a cost of K2.964 billion to be sent to Admarc for sale in its markets, according to a letter dated 25 February 2016 from Mera to Secretary to Treasury and copied to Chief Secretary, Office of the President and Cabinet and Mera board chair Dingiswayo Jere.

But Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said the decision was illegal and disclosed that the matter was being investigated, claiming Treasury did not authorise the payment .

Government has no mandate to use money without the authorisation of Parliament except in very special cases under the Public Finance Management Act.

Kamoto was then sent on forced leave and was replaced by Welton Saiwa as acting CEO. He was director of electricity and renewable energy until this appointment.

That is how it feels to be fired Kamoto. Are you going to court? Of course it is your right to do so but you were given the opportunity to be heard and I very much doubt whether giving out Mera funds to Admarc to buy maize was part of your job. I very much doubt you would win the case.

Does not sound like corruption when one government department loans or provides another government department money to buy a product that is to be resold to the public who repays the original loan because the Treasury had no money to offer,

He was fired because he did not notify the Treasury of the loan or pay the money directly into the Treasury so that it would appear or credit for the purchase would be the Treasury all about looking good,

Now maizegate but Chaponda will not be fired for putting his nose into Admarc business nor will he be fired for arranging for the purchase of maize 60% higher than Zambia’s best government to government price,

Love it when he Chaponda indicates cannot access emails because his computer was stolen. Emails are held on the internet server not on personal computers and easily accessed from any computer,